GAME 97: Yankees vs Athletics

YANKEES (59-37, First Place AL East)
Jeter DH
Gardner CF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Swisher RF
Cano 2B
Cabrera LF
Ransom SS
Molina C
Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (8-5, 4.62).

ATHLETICS (40-55, Fourth Place AL West)
Lineup TBA
Pitching: LHP Gio Gonzalez (1-2, 9.33).

8 in a Row, Twice in a Row: The Yankees are the first team to win their first 8 games after the All Star Break for two years in a row. They try and make it 9 in a row today.
Power Pitching: The Yankees have a 2.25 ERA since the All-Star break and their starters are 6-0 with a 2.35 ERA.
A Game Against the A's: The Yankees are 4-0 against the A's this season, and have won 9 of their last 10 against them.
Passing the Splendid Splinter: Forgot to mention this yesterday, but Derek Jeter got his 2,654th hit, tying him with Ted Williams on the all-time hit list.

UPDATE 2:05: Not much to blog about here, but it is the fifth inning already and we got ourselves a pitcher's duel. Pettitte has only given up 1 hit while Gio Gonzalez has the Yankees hitless.

UPDATE 2:28: Well nothing much happening, other than Paul O'Neill telling Al Leiter he deserved giving up a HR to Jeter in the Subway Series because he threw a first pitch changeup.

UPDATE 2:30: O'Neill just said this guy has a 9 ERA coming into this game. I doubled check and indeed he does. What a disgrace that they only have one hit off him. I don't care if some of the starters are resting, but they should have 4 runs off this guy by now.

UPDATE 2:35: Well, it's about time. Gardner hits a triple that brings home Jeter. 1-0 Yankees.

UPDATE 2:53: Single up the middle ties the game up. One out runners at first and second. If there was ever a time for a double play, now would be it.

UPDATE 2:59: Pettitte gets taken out with a bases loaded jam, and Aceves was one strike away fromg etting out of it. Then he gave up a soft liner into left and now it is 3-1 Oakland.

UPDATE 3:04: Something didn't sit well for me when I saw Aceves come in with the bases loaded. He pitches to contact and the hits he gives up aren't hit hard, but now he just gave up a hard one and it is 6-1 A's. This inning has been disastrous for the Yankees. A's getting all the breaks.

UPDATE 3:14: So there is a Michael Kay fan club sign out in the terrace. And of course he loves it. Can a fan club exist wiht only 4 members? I guess so.

UPDATE 3:25: We all know the Yankees won't go away quietly. Does that mean they'll come back and win? No. It means they will score 2-3 runs in the eighth make it 6-3, 6-4. Then they will give up a run or two in the top of th ninth making it 7-3. Then they will rally to make it 7-5 or 7-6 and fall short. It's happened too many times this season and I can just sense it happening again.

UPDATE 3:41: Jeter and Tex go deep and now it is 6-4 A's. I hope they prove me wrong for what I said above, but a key in doing that is not letting the A's get any tack on runs in the ninth.

UPDATE 3:48: THAT BALL IS DRIVEN OUT TO DEEP LEFT FIELD AND IT IS....caught in front of the warning track. Thanks alot Michael Kay for giving me false hope.

UPDATE 3:55: I knwo what you are all wondering and yes, Kay asked if the Yankees had a rally in their bones. If they do, they didn't allow any tack on runs, so it remains 6-4.

UPDATE 4:07: Almost. But Posada had a double play in his bones instead. Check back later as I go and try and make sense of all this.